Air controller for aeroplanes



y 6, 1930- P. L'EFEVRE 1,757,435

AIR CONTROLLER FOR AEROPLANES Filed Jan. 14, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY May 6, 1930. P. LEFEVRE I 5 AIR CONTROLLER FOR AEROPLANES Filed Jan. 14, 1929 2 Sheet.:s--Sheet 2 A J7 ll) feierkfew INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented May 6, 193% UhllED STATES PETER LEFEVRE, 013 DETROIT, MICHIGAN AIR CONTROLLER roe AEROIELANES Application filed January 14, 1929.

This invention relates to a safety attachment for aeroplanes, the general object of the invention being to provide flaps at the front of a wing of the plane, with means for moving one flap downwardly and the other one upwardly so that the resistance offered by these flaps to the wind will cause the plane to ascend or descend in accordance with which flap is moved to operative position.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the com bination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claim.

In describing my invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like or 29 corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which 1- Figure 1 is a plan view of a plane constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a front view thereof.

Figure 3 is a side view thereof.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view through the front part of the upper wing and through the parts forming the invention.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the c0nso trol member for theflaps.

In these views, the numeral 1 indicates a shaft supported in parallel relation with the upper wing A of the aeroplane by the brackets 2, which are suitably connected with the front edge of the wing. An upper flap 3 is hingedly connected with said shaft and a lower flap 4; is also hinge'dly connected with the shaft, these flaps filling the space between the shaft and the front edge of the wing. A coil spring so 5, carried by the shaft, tends to hold the flaps in parallel relation and in closed condition.

A rod 6 is supported for rocking movement at the front of the wing and has a crank 7 on its central part which extends into the space between the two flaps and the ends of the rod are bent downwardly to form the handles 8 which are arranged adjacent the cabins B of the plane, so that a person in either cabin can manipulate the rod to cause its crank 7 to raise the flap 3 or lower the Serial No. 332,532.

flap 4:. When the upper flap is raised, its resistance to the wind will cause the plane to descend and when the lower flap is lowered, its resistance to the wind will cause the plane to ascend. Thus I have provided simple means for facilitating the ascending and descending of the plane and such means act as safety devices for righting the plane if it should drop into a nose dive or a tail spin.

A horizontally arranged shaft 9 is rotatably supported under the upper wing adjacent the front thereof, and the cross piece 10 at the center of this shaft is connected by the cables 11 with a pulley 12 connected with the lower end of the shaft 13 of the vertical rudder l l so that by rocking the shaft 9, through means of the depending levers 15 connected with its ends, the rudder 14 can be adjusted to cause the plane to turn to the right or left.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction and in the combina tion and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim is a In an aeroplane, supporting means extending forwardly from the front edge of a wing of the plane, a shaft supported at the front end of such means, a pair of flaps hingedly connected with the shaft and extending rearwardly, manually operated means for lowering one flap and raising the other flap and spring means for normally holding the flaps in parallel relation and in closed condition.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

PETER LEFEVRE. 

